Time and time again, filmmaker Sofia Coppola shows us that she’s a cult favourite for good reason; a 90s indie it-girl with a well-established street style who makes movies that are a poignant vision of girlhood. Previous projects include dreamy classics like Marie Antoinette, The Virgin Suicides, and The Bling Ring, but her latest will be Priscilla — an adaptation of the bestselling 1985 memoir Elvis and Me written by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley herself. Distributed by A24 in the US and MUBI in the UK and Germany, we’ve already seen its stars Jacob Elordi (as Elvis) and Cailee Spaeny (as Priscilla) in the first official trailer, and now we have some more photos from it too.
So what’s this movie going to be about? Who else is in it? Will there be a multiversal crossover, culminating in a gory duel-to-the-death between Jacob Elordi’s Elvis and Austin Butler’s Elvis? And where can we watch the trailer? Here’s everything we know about Priscilla.
SUBSCRIBE TO I-D NEWSFLASH. A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ON FRIDAYS.
What’s the plot of Priscilla?
The film will follow the life of Priscilla Presley as it was told in her New York Times bestselling memoir, and adapted into a script by director Sofia Coppola. Famously, Elvis and Priscilla met at a party in 1959 when he was 23 years old, and she was 14. They then began a courtship that became a marriage in 1967, and had a child together the year after, named Lisa Marie Presley.
“Decades after his death, millions of fans continue to worship Elvis the legend,” reads the description of Elvis and Me. “But very few knew him as Elvis the man. Here, in her own words, Priscilla Presley tells the story of their love, revealing the details of their first meeting, their marriage, their affairs, their divorce, and the unbreakable bond that has remained long after his tragic death.”
In a recent Hollywood Reporter feature, Sofia explained why she was drawn to the project. “Her story was so vivid in my mind and the visuals of that world, Memphis, the 60s. It’s so American,” the filmmaker says. “And I always like themes about finding one’s identity and teenage girls growing into adulthood.” It was also the fact that Priscilla has remained fairly secretive about her life that peaked Sofia’s interest. “People are curious about your story,” she said to Priscilla, “because you have mystique, which is so rare today.”
The article also suggested that the movie would not shy away from the more uncomfortable elements of the relationship between the 14-year-old Priscilla and 23-year-old Elvis, including the age difference. In it, we see Elvis control the clothing she wears, as well as a pillow fight that escalates and ends with Priscilla getting a black eye.
Who is in the cast of the movie?
Cailee Spaeny (known for The Craft: Legacy) will play Priscilla — at the recommendation of oft-Coppola collaborator Kirsten Dunst — opposite Jacob Elordi as Elvis. It was a meeting in a coffee shop with Sofia that won Jacob the role. “All the girls in the room just turned to him, they gravitated,” Sofia told The Hollywood Reporter. “I just felt like, ‘Yeah, he has that kind of charisma that I imagine Elvis had’.”
Sharing the role of Lisa Marie Presley, their daughter, at different stages of her life are two newcomers: Raine Monroe Boland and Emily Mitchell.
Can we watch the trailer for Priscilla?
Yes! A24 dropped the full length trailer for the film in October 2023, alongside more images from the film, which you can see below.
Are there any photos from the set?
Yes! Paparazzi spotted Jacob and Cailee on the set of the film, and captured photos of the pair in costume.
What’s on the Priscilla soundtrack?
Much of the sound for the film has been crafted by Sofia’s husband Thomas Mars and his indie pop-rock band Phoenix. The music references the period but will have an “anachronistic” feel, according to Sofia and it will heavily feature a cover of Frankie Avalon song “Venus” — the song that was playing when Elvis and Priscilla met — as Priscilla’s theme, as well as a 1980 Ramones cover of The Ronettes’ 1963 song, “Baby, I Love You”, that opens the film.
Priscilla won’t, however, feature any of Elvis’ music. Though Sofia did request for the rights to certain songs from Elvis Presley Enterprises — owned by both Authentic Brands Group and the Presley family — she was turned down. “They don’t like projects that they haven’t originated, and they’re protective of their brand,” she told The Hollywood Reporter, referring to the Presley family. “But that made us be more creative”.
What are the reviews like for Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla?
Our first hint of feedback on the film came from Dennis Lim, the artistic director of New York Film Festival, where Priscilla will show as part of its Centerpiece selection on 6 October 2023. “Priscilla is a culminating triumph for Sofia Coppola, a filmmaker with a singular gift for illuminating the interior lives of her characters,” he said in a statement. “It’s a showcase for a pair of star-making performances and a work of tremendous empathy and emotional nuance. We are looking forward to welcoming Sofia back to the festival with one of her very best films.”
Priscilla’s premiere at Venice Film Festival in early September 2023 was met with unanimous praise: i-D’s Douglas Greenwood called the movie a “ravishing and violent love story”, praising the director’s careful handling of the controversial relationship dynamic. Others have noted the “divine costume work” and the “grace and interiority” of Cailee Spaeny’s performance. She was so good, in fact, that she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the festival. Sounds like a hit to us!
What does Priscilla Presley and the Elvis estate think about the movie?
The Elvis Estate is rumoured to be annoyed that the movie was produced without their knowledge or consent, according to TMZ. (This comes after the 2022 Baz Luhrmann movie Elvis was made with the Presley family’s cooperation.) According to TMZ, a source from Elvis’ estate said that “it feels like a college movie” — but we wonder why they would have seen it, when, based on what Priscilla was saying around the same time, even she hadn’t at that point. Priscilla had a very different opinion: “I am very excited to see the interpretation of my book by the masterful Sofia Coppola,” she also told TMZ in June 2023. “She has such an extraordinary perspective and I have always been such an admirer of her work. I’m certain this movie will take everyone on an emotional journey.” We think it will too!
Priscilla has since revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that she has now seen the film. “When I saw the movie, I tried to separate myself and live it as if I was just a fan or just someone that’s wanting to see the movie,” she said. “At the end, I actually, I was quite emotional. Only being 14. You look back and you go, ‘Why me? Why am I here? Why am I driving in a limo, going through the gates of Graceland with Elvis?’ ”
When is Priscilla’s release date?
Priscilla is in US cinemas from 27 October. It will be released in UK cinemas from 26 December.
This story has been updated with new details and republished.